French football fans are rightly convinced of that Les Bleus can go all the way and win the World Cup in 2026. Sitting at the top of the FIFA world rankings and having made the last two finals (winning one and losing an excruciating penalty shootout in the other), Didier Deschamps’ men know how to get things done… and that’s before you even get to the Kylian Mbappé factor.
The country’s all-time top scorer aged just 27, Mbappé has terrorized international defenses for almost a decade and – at the time of writing – co-leads a fascinating Golden Boot run with Lionel Messi with six goals so far at the 2026 tournament.
But this amazing French side is about much more than one man. Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, Adrien Rabiot and Aurélien Tchouaméni have all been superb in a team that is somehow even greater than the sum of its parts, while Mike Maignan has only closed twice between the sticks. They’re a really nice team to watch – and luckily you can do just that, and pretty much for free.
Over half of the matches at this year’s World Cup are 100% free to watch on TV and online in France. So read on as we explain how you can watch the 2026 World Cup in France for free.
Can I stream the 2026 World Cup for free in France?
Yes, but not every game. 54 of the 104 matches at the 2026 World Cup will be streamed live and free of charge in France.
That’s thanks to free-to-air M6 The TV station, which shows 47 of these matches between 18:00 and 23:00 CET, meaning that the matches will also be available for live streaming online via M6+ streaming platform.
All you need to stream for free on M6+ is a free account that requires a few basic personal details, including name, date of birth and a French postcode (eg 93200).
If you need to travel away from France, then you can use a VPN to unlock your free World Cup streams. Norton VPN are our best selection of options – more on which below.
To get comprehensive coverage of every game, you need access to a specialist sports streamer beIN Sport. You can sign up through your usual TV provider or as a standalone service from €15 a month.
Use a VPN to watch any World Cup 2026 stream
Travel outside the borders of France and you’ll quickly find that your usual domestic streaming options won’t work. This means that you will not be able to live stream World Cup matches as you expected.
Don’t worry, this is exactly where a VPN can help. A virtual private network lets you connect to servers around the world, so you can safely access your usual VM coverage as if you were back at home.
We recommend Norton VPN. Here’s why:
Where else can I stream World Cup 2026 for free?
All 104 World Cup matches will be streamed for free in many countries around the world:.
Abroad? You can use a VPN to access local broadcasts and streaming services.
What is the schedule for the 2026 World Cup?
All times CET
ROUND OF 16
Saturday 4 July
19.00 – Canada vs Morocco Stream for FREE on M6+
23.00 – Paraguay vs France Stream for FREE on M6+
Sunday, July 5
22.00 – Brazil vs Norway Stream for FREE on M6+
Monday, July 6
02.00 – Mexico vs England
21.00 – Portugal vs Spain Stream for FREE on M6+
Tuesday 7 July
02.00 – USA vs Belgium
18.00 – TBC vs TBC
22:00 – Switzerland vs TBC
QUARTER FINAL
Thursday 9 July
22:00 – Canada or Morocco vs Paraguay or France Stream for FREE on M6+
Friday, July 10
21.00 – USA or Belgium vs Portugal or Spain Stream for FREE on M6+
Saturday 11 July
23:00 – Brazil or Norway vs Mexico or England
Sunday, July 12
03:00 – TBC vs TBC Stream for FREE on M6+
SEMI-FINALS
Tuesday 14 July
9pm – Semi-Final 1 (will include France if they progress) Stream for FREE on M6+
Wednesday 15 July
21.00 – Semi-final 2 Stream for FREE on M6+
FINAL
Saturday 18 July
23.00 – Play-off for third place Stream for FREE on M6+
Sunday, July 19
21.00 – 2026 FIFA World Cup final Stream for FREE on M6+
What is France’s FIFA World Cup 2026 squad?
Goalkeepers: Brice Samba (Rennes), Mike Maignan (Milan), Robin Risser (Lens).
Defenders: Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich), Jules Koundé (Barcelona), Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool), William Saliba (Arsenal), Théo Hernandez (Al-Hilal), Lucas Hernandez (Paris Saint-Germaixin (Crystal Lacroix), Maxence La Palace).
Midfielders: Manu Koné (Roma), Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid), N’Golo Kanté (Fenerbahçe), Adrien Rabiot (Milan), Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco).
Extenders: Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain), Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace).
Does France have a chance to win the 2026 World Cup?
France has one very good chances to win this WC and are favorites with many experts, fans and bookmakers – ahead of e.g. Argentina, Spain, Brazil and England – to win the title in 2026.
France have won the World Cup twice, most recently in 2018. They narrowly lost the 2022 final on penalties to Lionel Messi’s Argentina, despite a hat-trick from star striker Kylian Mbappé.
Can I watch France at the FIFA World Cup 2026 on my mobile?
Of course, most WC broadcasters have streaming services that you can access through mobile apps or through your phone’s browser. As explained above, it includes M6+ and beIN Sports, both of which you can access via your mobile.
You can also stay up to date with all the World Cup highlights on the official social media channels on X/Twitter (@FIFAWorldCup), Instagram (@FIFAWorldCup), TikTok (@FIFAWorldCup) and YouTube (@FIFA).
We test and review VPN services for legitimate recreational use. For example: 1. Accessing a Service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that Service). 2. Protecting your online security and enhancing your online privacy when you are abroad. We do not support or condone illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consumption of paid-for pirated content is neither endorsed nor endorsed by Future Publishing.
